OMEGA SPEEDMASTER '57 RORY MCILROY LIMITED EDITION

Basic Info

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Bracelet/strap

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Omega

The company was founded in 1848 in the Swiss city of La Chaux-de-Fonds in the form of a simple workshop for assembling watches. The creator of it was the 23-year-old Louis Brandt, who throughout the winter collected pocket watches from parts supplied by local artisans. Then, when spring came, he went on a trip to Europe to sell manufactured products. The watches were in stable demand and ensured a comfortable existence for him.

After the death of Louis in 1879, his sons, Louis-Paul and Cesar, turned the watch-making workshop into a watch factory, thanks to which all the details of the movement and the assembly began to be made in one place. In 1880, the brothers transferred production to the city of Biel. In 1894, a 19-line caliber was created, which was named OMEGA by the name of the last letter of the Greek alphabet, symbolizing completeness, superiority, durability and perfection. Watches with this mechanism have become incredibly popular, so the Brandt brothers decided to rename the company, which was originally called "Louis Brandt & Fills".

In 1903, the brothers die, leaving one of the largest watch companies in Switzerland - producing 240,000 hours a year and staffing 800 people - four sons, the eldest of whom, Paul-Emile, was barely 23 years old. But it was he who had a huge impact on the development of the company in the next 50 years. The economic crisis after the end of the First World War led him to the decision to form an alliance with another watch factory - Tissot, with which they form Societe Suisse pour l’Industrie Horlogere S.A. (SSIH).

Under the leadership of Paul Emile, and since 1955, already under the leadership of Joseph Raiser, SSIH Group has continued to grow, adding about fifty more companies. In the 70s, it is considered the leader in the production of finished watches in Switzerland. Nevertheless, the financial crisis of 1975-1980 almost brings it to bankruptcy. During this period, the Japanese watch company Seiko begins to make efforts to acquire the company Omega. But it is saved by banks that make a pledge for the company.

The same fate befell a year before another giant - the company Allgemeine Schweizerische Uhrenindustrie AG (ASUAG), which was engaged in the production of unfinished mechanisms for other factories, as well as was the owner of Rado and Longines.

In 1983, to overcome the financial crisis, two giants decide to unite, creating the holding ASUAG-SSIH. Since 1985, the holding has been managed by private investors under the direction of Nicholas Hayek, who immediately renames it SMH (Société suisse de Microélectronique et d’Horlogerie), and since 1998, by attaching brands such as Blancpain and Breguet, it changes its name to Swatch Group Ltd. Despite this, Omega is still one of the most prestigious brands of the holding.

In February 2018, in honor of the Olympic Games in Pkhenchkhane, Omega presented the new Seamaster Olympic Games Gold collection. It was created in honor of three medals, which are awarded to the winners and prize-winners of the Olympics.